Delivery apparatus.



E. J. FENINGER & .l. ONEAL.

DELIVERY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.28. I916.

1,203,596. 7 Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET Ll J0 Z g entog J diam.

E. J. FENINGER & J. ONEAL.

DELIVERY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Auc.28, I9I6.

Patented Nov. 7,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- v attorney I noun: PEI'ERS ca. Pnomyma. wAsNmc DELIVERY APrn ArUs.

for its object to provide a simple and. ef-- ficient apparatus of this kind by which sev eral orders may be delivered, one after the other, a plurality of holders being provided each succeeding one of which is brought automatically into delivering position when the order, message or other article is taken from the preceding holder.

The obj ect stated is attainedby means of a novel combination and arrangement ofparts to be hereinafter described and claimed, and

. in order that the same may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which drawings the preferred em-- bodiment of the invention has been illustrated, it being understood, of course, that the invention is susceptible of various changes and modifications without a departure from the spirit and scope thereof as claimed hereinafter.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Figs. 3 "and 41 are details in perspective, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of a catcher. r l

Referring specifically to the drawings, denotes a suitable base plate which carries the delivery apparatus, said plate-being supported at a suitable height from the groundv by a post 11 or any'other convenient means. From the rear edge of the base plate rise three uprights 12', 13 and 14, respectively, arranged in a row and spaced apart. The

. upright 12 is at one en'd of the base plate and has at the top a' forwardly extending horizontal arm 15, and at the bottom a horizontal arm 16 extending parallel tothe arm 15 and projecting a short distance from the I front edge of the base plate. At the outer ends of the arms 15 and 16 are gripper members for holding the ends of a carrier 17 for the train order 18 or other article to bedelivered to themoving train. This a r r is a Pie e of and whi h i held 1 s:

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 28, 1916. Serial No. 117,329.

Patented Nov. a, mic.

pended in vertical position between the grippers, the latter being vertically spaced. The bottom gripper is a spring clasp having a fixed jaw 19 and a movable jaw 20, the latter being pivoted to the fixed jaw, the pivotal connection being formed by passing a pin through lapping outstanding ears on the jaws, and as this is a common form of clasp, a further description is deemed unnecessary. Aspring 21 is provided for closing the jaw 20. The top gripper is alsoa spring clasp, the fixed jaw being shown at 22 and the movable jaw at 23. The holder fora second order or other articleis slid-ably mounted on the upright 13, and another one is mounted on the upright 14. The'first- 'mentioned one of these holders comprises vertically spaced, horizontal arms 2 1 and 25 connected at their. rear ends by a vertical arm 26 having slides: 27 which engage'the upright 13. The'otherholder also comprises vertically spaced, horizontalarms 28 and 29 connected at their rear ends by a vertical arm 30 provided with slides 31 engaging the upright 141. These horizontal arms carry spring clasps for holding train order or'article carrying cords the same as the one hereinbefore described. The clasps are also the same as the ones hereinbefore described. The jaws-of the clasp of the arm 2d are shown at 32 and 33, the former being the fixed jaw, and the latter. the spring actuated movable jaw. .The fixed and movable jaws of the arm 25 are shown at 34: and 35, respectively, those of the arm 28 at 36 and 37,

respectively, and those of the arm 29 at 38 andv 39, respectively. The uprights 12,13

and 1 1 are'connected by a brace 40.

The carrier cord for the second train order or other article to be delivered is shown at 17* and thecord forthe nextone to be delivered is shown at 17*. The cord 17 is held by the spring clasp's of the arms 24: and 25 of the holder which is slidably mounted on the upright 13,- and the cord 17* is held by the clasps of the arms 28 and 29'0f the.

holder which is .slidably mounted on the" upright 14. The uprights 13 andld rise to a greater height than the upright 12, so that the holders of: the cords 17 and 173 may be placed higher up than the holder of the cord 17. In the operation of the apparatus,

the cord17 is the first one to be taken off,

and the holder for the cord l7 then drops down to bring this cord into deli-very position, and after it is delivered, the holder of of its branches a depending the movement of said jaw,

the cord 17 drops down to bring that cord into delivery position.

The holder for the cord 17 is held elevated by the following means: On a bracket ll carried by the brace 4:0 is pivoted a latch rod 42 which is swung to extend beneath the arm 2% of the holder when the latter is in elevated position. On the arm 15 is abracket 43 to which is pivoted, as shown at 14:, an angle lever 45 having at the outer end of one keeper hook 46 for the latch rod 42. The other branch of the angle lever is connected by a rod 47 to the movable jaw 23 of the clasp which grips the upper end of the cord 17. lVhen the cord is gripped by this clasp, the movable jaw is held spread, the amount of spread being increased by making a knot in the cord. Upon spreading the jaw to grip the knotted end of the cord, the connection 4-7 of said jaw with the lever 45, brings the hook e6 in position to hold the rod 42, and upon elevating the holder for the cord 17 and placing the rod &2 beneath the bottom arm 24 of said holder and into the hook 46, the holder is held elevated. When the cord 17 is removed, the jaw 23 closes up, and through the connection at? the lever a5 is swung to disengage the hook 46 from the rod 42. Theholder of the cord 17 now drops down to the base plate 10, and said cord comes into delivery position.

The holder for the cord 17 is released and allowed to descend, when the cord l7 is taken from its holder, the following means being provided for this purpose: On the brace L0 is pivoted a latch rod 18 adapted to be positioned horizontally beneath the arm 28 to sustain the holder in elevated position. The bracket 41 supports an angle lever 49 having on one of its branches a depending keeper hook 50 for the latch rod 48, said branch of the lever also working between stop projections 51 on the bracket 41. The other end of the lever is in the path of the downturned end 52 of a rod 53 slidably mounted in a support 54: on the arm of the holder of the cord 17', and connected to the jaw of the clasp carried by said arm. When the holder of the cord 17*" drops down to delivery position as hereinbefore described, the bend 52 of the rod 53 comes into position back of the angle lever, and when the cord 17 slips out of the clasps of the holder of said cord, and the jaw 35 closes, through the rod 53 and its bend 52, swings the angle lever 49 in a direction to disengage the hook from the rod 48. This releases the holder of the cord 17*, and said holder 110w drops down and places the cord in delivery position. A spring 55 connected to the angle lever 49 holds the book 50 normally in position to engage the rod 48. I

It will be seen from the foregoing that the cords 17, 17 and 17 do not interfere with each other, and they are taken off their holders in the order named.

The catcher which takes the cords 17, 17 and 17" is an arm 56 extending outward from the side of the car or cab and having at its outer end two parallel outstanding rods 57 carrying spring fingers 58. The catcher is positioned on the side of the car or cab at such a height that when it passes a cord in lowered or delivery position, the spring fingers grab the same and remove it from the clasps. The arm 56 is pivoted to the side of the car or cab so that it may be swung into and out of operative position.

We claim:

1. A delivery apparatus comprising a plurality of carriers, a holder for each carrier, said holders being arranged. in a row and the holders beyond the first one in the row being slidable, means for sustaining the slidable holders above the level of the first holder, and means for releasing the slidable holders in succession.

2. A delivery apparatus comprising a plurality of carriers, a holder for each carrier, said holders being arranged in a row and the holders beyond the first one in the row being slidable, means for sustaining the slidable holders above the level of the first holder, means controlled. by the first holder for re leasing the first slidable holder, and means controlled by the first slidable holder for releasing the next slidable holder.

3. A delivery apparatus comprising a plurality of carriers, a holder for each carrier, said holders being arranged in a row and the holders beyond the first one in the row being slidable, means for sustaining the slidable holders above thelevel of the first holder, grippers on the holders for the respective carriers, said grippers having parts which move when the carriers are removed, a keeper for the sustaining means of the first slidable holder operatively connected to the movable gripper part of the first holder, and a keeper for the sustaining means of the second slidable holder operatively connected to the movable gripper part of the first slidable holder.

4-. A delivery apparatus comprising a carrier, a holder for the carrier, grippers on the holder engaging the carrier, one of the grippers having a part which moves when the carrier isremoved, a second carrier, a vertically slidable holder'for said second carrier, a latch for sustaining said slidable holder in elevated position, a movable keeper for the latch, and an operative connection between the keeper and the aforesaid movable gripper part.

A delivery apparatus compris ng a carrier, a holder for the carrier, grlppers on the holder engaging the carrier, one of the grippers having a part. which moves when the carrier is removed, a second carrier, a vertically slidable holder for said second carrier, a latch adapted to be positioned beneath the slidable holder when in elevated position for holding the same in that position, a movable keeper for the latch, and an operative connection between the keeper-and the aforesaid movable gripper part.

(3. A delivery apparatus comprising a carrier, a holder for the carrier, grippers on the holder engaging the carrier, one of the grippers having a spring jaw which closes When the carrier is removed, a second carrier, a

for the latch,

, vertically slidable holder for said second carrier, a latch for sustainlng said slidable holder in elevated position, a movable keeper and an operative connection hetween the keeper and the aforesaid spring 3aw.

In testimony whereof we aifix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses' EDWARD J. FENINGER.

JOHN ONEAL. \v itnesses JAMES MoINTYRn, AUGUsT BROWN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington,]) 0; 

